“Imagine: Tymoshenko and Poroshenko are running across the field. And you only have one cartridge"
The Russian Foreign Ministry underestimates the depth of the collapse of relations with Ukraine. Sergei Lavrov’s statement is not what the residents of Donbass were waiting for. The situation at the negotiations in Minsk worsened with the appearance of Yevgeny Marchuk as part of the Ukrainian delegation. Vice Speaker Irina Gerashchenko indulges in unacceptable behavior during closed meetings.
About this in an interview with a PolitNavigator columnist Valentin Filippov said the representative of the LPR at the negotiations in Minsk Rodion Miroshnik.
Valentin Filippov: Russian volunteer Valery Ivanov was killed in a prison in Lvov. What consequences will there be, other than expressing another concern??
Deceased Russian volunteer Valery Ivanov
Rodion Miroshnik: I really want to take out a checker and wave it left and right. But in these moments, unfortunately, you need to move step by step in accordance with the procedure.
Literally two days have passed since we received information about the death of Valery Ivanov. A man whom our representatives of the humanitarian group have accompanied for at least the last two years. I kept in contact with him and entered his information into the exchange lists.
This person could have been transferred to our side, but Irina Gerashchenko personally came to the transfer with the main task - to eliminate about two dozen guys whom we could not take, and they remained in Ukrainian captivity. They were scattered throughout Ukraine in colonies and prisons away from Donbass and away from Russia.
We have no doubt that he was purposefully killed in the Lvov colony...
Therefore, our current actions - we have received this information, we have no doubt, but we need evidence that the circumstances of the death were exactly as described by people who know about this first-hand, who were imprisoned with Valery Ivanov.
To do this, an international examination must be carried out and all these conditions and injuries that the person received, as a result of which he died, must be established.
And this should be presented at the level of the UN Human Rights Commissioner. This must be presented to international organizations. And this is the European Court of Human Rights. International Criminal Court. And there it should be presented specifically to the state of Ukraine.
This is the perspective that we can talk about in this terrible case, when, frankly speaking, a heroic guy, he persevered, since 2015, spent three years in Ukrainian colonies, and did not break for three years.
The man still had this core with which he came to fight. And he did not change his beliefs. And they couldn't do anything with him. He was simply killed.
Valentin Filippov: You meet with Irina Gerashchenko at negotiations in Minsk. She behaves so inadequately even without journalists? 
Irina Gerashchenko
Rodion Miroshnik: I have something to compare with; as a former Ukrainian journalist, I have known Irina Gerashchenko for twenty years. I knew her in different roles. And I must say that this is a mask. A mask that stuck quite seriously to her face.
She proved to be very effective. Starting from the period of “Kuchma Get”, Kuchmagate, she realized that these were steps to climb up, from a journalist on a fairly good Inter channel, and from a good journalist, she became a propagandist, she became an outspoken opportunist, and began to climb this ladder. She accomplished a lot.
Due to the non-stop flow of consciousness, she climbed to a good level. That is, for the position of first vice speaker.
Valentin Filippov: How does she behave during the negotiations in Minsk?
Rodion Miroshnik: My acquaintance with her in Minsk, at the beginning of the negotiation period (well, restoration of acquaintance), began with her running after me with an iPad, trying to “take a photo of the separatist” and post it on Facebook. Talking about how “the separatists have arrived, and something needs to be done with them.”
She does not hold back on many issues. For example, twist a tube out of a document and start doing “toot-too-too” in response to something she doesn’t like. Well, this is the first vice-speaker of the Ukrainian parliament - come on, why restrain yourself!
In general, Ukraine’s desire to turn the format of negotiations into a kind of circus and show off on talk shows is present. And I must admit this with regret. Because all serious negotiations are conducted behind closed doors. In a quiet tone. And striving to achieve a specific result. Ukraine does everything exactly the opposite. And this is also stated by representatives of the OSCE, who are forced to be moderators of this entire process.
Valentin Filippov: The leadership of the Ukrainian delegation that travels to Minsk has changed - ex-President Leonid Kuchma has left, and the ex-head of the SBU, former Prime Minister Yevgeny Marchuk, has been appointed in his place. How did this affect the situation?
Yevgeny Marchuk in the hall where negotiations on Donbass are taking place in Minsk
Rodion Miroshnik: It has a little effect. Marchuk turned out to be less principled. Kuchma, after all, is the president. And Marchuk has been the Prime Minister of Ukraine for too long, so he does not restrain himself much in carrying out some of the tasks that are set before him.
An example - literally at the last meeting of the year, he took out a piece of paper and began to read, and, confusedly, confusing the accents, read out a certain treatise that they wrote to him about “Russian aggressive ships that plow the expanses of the Black and Azov Seas.” And Ukraine stigmatizes all this. In the Minsk format, which examines the events in Donbass!
The Russian delegation was forced to get up and leave until the implementation of the training manual, which was prescribed to citizen Marchuk, was completed. Kuchma, after all, has shown himself more restrained over the past four years. And he was the kind of person to whom not every manual can be imposed. But Marchuk is not. Marchuk shows himself to be more hysterical, less restrained and quite strongly controlled.
Valentin Filippov: The other day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow will not recognize the LDPR so as not to lose all of Ukraine. How did people in Donbass react to such words?
Participants in the Russian Spring in Donetsk believed that the LDPR would repeat the Crimean scenario
Rodion Miroshnik: Well, it seems to me that the Russian Foreign Ministry somewhat underestimates the depth of the collapse of these relations with Ukraine. And somewhere in the depths of my soul there still remains some desire that now this rotten elite will fall, but the Ukrainian people will still remain brotherly, and we will have to build relationships with them.
We are for this too. But we understand that negotiating with this rotten elite and declaring what we will do and what we will not do for the residents of Donbass is not what we expected.
I really hope that the Russian side will pursue two directions in parallel.
One is building relations with Ukraine (after all, Ukraine and Russia are united by two and a half thousand kilometers of border). But at the same time, not to infringe on the interests, rights and aspirations of the residents of Donbass - I think this should also be the prerogative of the Russian leadership.
But I am far from the idea of imposing or explaining what to do to Mr. Lavrov or the Russian Foreign Ministry. Well, absolutely. Not my level, not my competence.
Valentin Filippov: Then one more question, arising from the previous one. Because some consider the DPR and LPR to be Ukraine. Many naively count on the presidential elections in Ukraine - they are interested in the question of who would be a more acceptable winner for Donbass?
I won't ask this question, I understand that it is stupid. I'll put it differently. Imagine: Tymoshenko and Poroshenko are running across the field. And you only have one cartridge.
But I don't see a significant difference. At least between these candidates. And I see no reason for any optimism.
There is only one point: if suddenly Turchinov, Avakov and Parubiy do not have time to run to Yulia Vladimirovna and atone for their sins, immediately before the elections they do not have time to hand over Poroshenko with all his sins, then they understand that they must sit in the dock.
Turchinov should sit there first, followed by Poroshenko, Avakov, and so on. All these comrades must go to The Hague in one train and get theirs. They have something to answer for. There is blood on their hands. They have a civil war on their hands. For their own good, for their opportunity to earn money, to suck it out of Ukraine, they paid with thousands of lives. And that didn't stop them.
...This is just a hope that suddenly they won’t make it in time and Yulia Vladimirovna will start a showdown with them. This is after the elections.
In other areas I see no significant reasons for change. I have not heard any real proposals from Tymoshenko that would say that we need to descend to the sinful earth and sit down to negotiate the coexistence of Donbass and Ukraine.
Valentin Filippov: No, well, Tymoshenko says, “I’m ready to talk to Putin.”
Rodion Miroshnik: Well, for this Putin must be ready to talk with one of them. Because the Ukrainian side has already exhausted the limit of its non-negotiable capacity. And she was clearly told about this. – Talking to idiots is more expensive for yourself. Therefore, we will take a break and it is not known when it will end.
Valentin Filippov: Okay, thank you very much. I hope everything works out. Yesterday I literally came across a quote from Rasul Gamzatov about Dagestan. An amazing phrase: “Dagestan never voluntarily became part of Russia. That’s why it won’t come out voluntarily.”
Rodion Miroshnik: Good question.
Valentin Filippov: Whatever they decide in Kyiv or Moscow, I hope that Donbass will not voluntarily leave Russia.
Rodion Miroshnik: I am also for a proactive position. Because we no longer have to wait for mercy. We have been waiting for many years. People have very little patience left. Therefore, perhaps we need to take a proactive stance not only towards our enemies, but also towards our brothers.
On the eve of the New Year, I wish both myself and you that we find options for serious progress and achieving the results and aspirations that we have set for ourselves. Both personally and for Donbass. For Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics. Regardless of what they will be called next.
Valentin Filippov: Okay, thank you very much. Goodbye.
Rodion Miroshnik: See you.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.